In construction projects, the need often exists to support a structure relative to a desired location of the ground. Piles may be used to support the structure relative to the ground. In particular, a predetermined type of pile may be driven into the ground at the desired location to a predetermined pile depth. The type of pile and pile depth are typically predetermined based on conditions such as the nature of the structure (e.g., load) to be supported by the pile and the conditions of the ground at and below the desired location.
The term “permafrost” is typically used to refer to ground, including rock or soil, at or below the freezing point of water. While many of the techniques employed when driving piles in conventional (e.g., non-frozen) soil may be used in permafrost, the characteristics of permafrost present a unique set of considerations when a pile is to be driven into permafrost.
The need thus exists for pile driving systems and methods optimized for use in permafrost.